A home for Scotland’s war history

Dawn Renton

A new campaign has been launched to find a home for Scotland’s military heritage.

After years of collecting war memorabilia, former soldier Ian Inglis, is setting up the country’s first Military Museum.

Ian takes his collection around schools in Scotland

Having recently received charity status, the museum aims to house war memorabilia and honour the hundreds of thousands of Scottish servicemen and women who fought in all conflicts involving the UK, all under one roof.

The idea for a permanent muesum stemmed from a mobile collection that Ian began taking to schools.

Ian, who is the charity’s chairman, said: “While I was working at an outdoor centre in Oban, I was asked by a friend to bring in my collection of medals, weapons and uniforms for school pupils who were studying the war,” he explained. “I decided to set up the Mobile Military Museum as an educational resource visiting schools in Scotland.

“This has been going now since 2013 and continues to grow. I remember on one visit I was asked by one of the children where my museum was and I had to reply ‘well, I don’t have one!’”

So that’s when the idea for the Military Museum Scotland was born.

Ian said: “It will not only display artefacts and memorabilia from the Army, Air Force and Navy, it will include Home Front, Allies and Axis displays. Other plans include an education suite, reference and research centre, meeting and function rooms and a wartime-themed cafe and gift shop.

“We also hope to have a veterans drop-in centre and breakfast club, operating within the museum.

“It is not going to happen overnight, but we have an enthusiastic team, working tirelessly behind the scenes to make it become a reality.

“We already have such a huge collection of exhibits and are still receiving donations of other artefacts and information. Everyone has a story to tell and we want to tell that story.”

•The campaign is being launched on July 1, at Easter Road football stadium in Edinburgh, between 10am and 3.30pm. The charity is looking for help to find suitable premises, additional funding and an army of volunteers to help with fundraising, events and with the running of the museum. To find out more email Ian on milmussco@aol.co.uk or visit here facebook.com.